Insider profil
Keen to receive questions about
Top Insider Advice
My career experience causes me to provide the following advice, which is relevant for opportunities here at First Central: • Build credibility by doing what you say you will • Team spirit trumps all • Seek to understand and don’t judge a book by its cover • Give people space; micro-management is a killer • Be relentless in seeking to understand yourself • Coaching and mentoring are transformational and are amazing gifts you can give to others • Take risks and be brave • Be human, be vulnerable, show emotion to make yourself accessible
Career path
Director of Data and Analytics
First Central Insurance and Technology Group
Started 08/2021 to PresentCompany
What do you like about your job and the company?
First Central has data front and centre in its business strategy on a page; it’s boldly declared in our definition of who we are, our purpose, and our mission which is an incredible opportunity for a data leader and their team. So, the ambition we have at First Central for data management and for creating value from it combined with a truly exceptional collaborative culture is an highly motivating environment to be in. One of the reasons I joined the business was that I wanted to work in an organisation that had a similar, ‘family-type’ feel as my previous company but one that had a more entrepreneurial, fast-paced edge to it. I have certainly found that here. Finally, because we chose to create our own insurance platform and adopted cloud technology early, the opportunities for generating rich event data and then embedding analytical models into customers’ journeys are huge. Again, this is a highly motivating element of the data ambitions of our business.
Greatest achievements
Having a modest academic achievement record and working inside a large organisation for most of my career had created an inherent feeling of imposter syndrome that caused me to doubt my own abilities and knowledge. Given the above, being invited to present at the flagship Data and Analytics event in the UK run by Gartner was a major sense of pride for me, particularly as it was on the topic of the innovative use of data harnessing leading edge approaches and technologies. Presenting to a room of a few thousand people was a huge step outside my comfort zone which gave me renewed confidence in my own abilities and convinced me the work I was leading was at the forefront of our industry.
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James D
Fraud Team Leader
Top Insider Advice
The army taught me a lot about personal values and it’s something I always look back to. Apply them into everything you do and you’ll go far. Make it clear where you want to get to in the future and take opportunities to learn and grow to get there. Always reach out to people as you never know where this will take you. Most importantly, do things outside your comfort zone regularly and what was previously daunting or hard will become easy!
Adam W
Product Manager
Top Insider Advice
It sounds obvious, but sometimes it can be easy to perform the actions required for your role in a way that doesn’t best amplify your strengths. Be acutely aware of your own strengths and play to them, putting together a development plan for areas of improvement. I’d recommend developing your strengths too. Just because you’re naturally good at something doesn’t mean you should rest on your laurels. Have a mindset of wanting to move from the top 10% to top 1%. Always welcome feedback too whether it’s positive or constructive. Don’t take constructive feedback negatively, to be imperfect is to be human. We all have areas we can improve on.
Jemma R
Talent Manager
Top Insider Advice
I have rarely asked for or applied for promotions during my career, generally feeling I was happy where I was and not wanting loads more responsibility, especially since I lost my 21-month-old daughter in 2015. I wanted to come to work, enjoy it and then go home without any added pressures (plus I hate being interviewed!) I think I have naturally progressed and become involved in other things, specifically over the past 10 years. I’ve done it by working hard, being loyal and putting effort into everything I do. I’ve been lucky that my managers have always recognised my potential and pushed me to progress myself and my career. It’s definitely helped when working for the same company for a number of years! I could probably have progressed a bit quicker if I had pushed for it, but that’s not me and that’s ok. You don’t have to be pushy to get where you want to be; it might just take a little longer.
